ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 
the river was quite full of fine sal- 
mon. 
“* Having now only two balls left, 
beside that in my rifle, and fearing 
I might be tempted to fire them, 
and afterwards have my retreat dis- 
puted, or be attacked by one: or 
more enraged bear immediately af- 
ter I had fired a shot, when I should 
have had nothing to defend myself 
with but the powder only, which 
was in my other gun, I thought it 
was most prudent to return to the 
boat and get a fresh supply of am- 
munition. When I got down, 1 not 
only found myself very much fa- 
tigued, but the day was far spent ; 
and we had as much other work to 
do as the remainder of it was com- 
petent to. The Shalloway likewise 
was Jeft in so exposed a situation, 
that she might easily be driven from 
her anchors, if it came on to blow 
strong ; I therefore altered my in- 
tention, and waited the return of 
the other three people. It was not 
long before they came down; for 
they were not able to skin the bear ; 
although his body was afloat in wa- 
ter, which was about four feet deep, 
and nothing but his head rested 
upon a flat rock; yet they could 
not lift even that up. It was with 
the utmost exertion of their united 
strength that they could heave him 
off the rock with the assistance of 
leavers; nor could they cant him 
on his back, after he was wholly 
afloat, in order to skin bim in the 
water ; much less were they able to 
drag him on shore. We judged 
him to be as much as twelve bund- 
red weight; nor could he well be 
less than that, as he stood six feet 
high, and his carcase was as big as 
that of the largest ox I ever saw. 
Finding themselves foiled in every 
other attempt, at length they tied 
some dry wind-falls to him, and 
A8g 
launched him into the stream, in 
hopes that we might pick him up 
with the boat; but the trees came 
down without the bear, which made 
us conclude that he had grounded 
somewhere above. Thus ended in 
disappointment the noblest day’s: 
sport I ever saw; for we got only 
one skin, although we had killed six 
bears, and not one morsel of flesh ; 
which at this time would have been 
particularly acceptable, as we had 
eaten nothing for fourteen hovrs. 
“The black bear which I saw cross: 
the river, appeared to swim very 
heavily ; and I do not believe that 
they can dive and catch fish in deep 
water, but content themselves with 
walking along the shores, where the 
water is not out of their depth, to 
pick up the offals which are left by 
the white ones and otters; or such 
as die of their wounds and drive on 
shore; but they will catch fish in 
shallow streams, and rake up clams. 
and other shell-fish. When they 
first come out of their caves in the 
spring, for want of better food, I 
have observed that they eat dead 
grass; they also feed on ants and 
other insects which they get out of 
rotten windfalls; these they tear to 
pieces for that purpose; but when 
empetrum nigrum is ripe, they 
feed almost wholly on the berries ; 
which not only make them fat, but 
also gives their flesh a very good fla- 
your. As they have no chance with 
a white bear, they always avoid the 
unequal combat ; and I do believe 
they will attack no animal that is 
able to make a stout resistance. Even 
the porcupine, I am inclined to 
think, they do not molest; for I ne- 
ver saw or heard of one which had 
any of the quills of that creature in 
him.” 
His usual ill-luck attended our 
author in two other voyages that he 
under- 
